


Warrior

by Anthy_FalloutGirl (Anatheia)



Series: Airships & Castles Don't Mix [6]
Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Gen, I can't believe there isn't already a tag for Curie/Danse, Properly Edited, it's so cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-01
Updated: 2016-06-01
Packaged: 2018-07-11 13:15:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7053247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anatheia/pseuds/Anthy_FalloutGirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Life can be wonderful, if you just let it.  Danse is trying, he really is, but old habits die hard, especially for the Brotherhood of Steel.  Arthur struggles with the same things, but for very different reasons.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Warrior

_I fall asleep in my own tears_

Initially, Curie sat on the sedan couch, the once velvet worn down to the red threads, its former soft surface long gone. Danse sat on the bed, his back against the wall, with Grayson beside him. As he read, he had to focus on the book, so when he was several pages in, and she was perched on the edge of the bed as he turned the next page, he was almost startled. She smiled brightly.   
"Are there any pictures?" she asked hopefully.   
"Uhh, yeah." Danse managed.   
"Ohh, may I see?"   
He nodded, and she climbed onto the bed, leaning against the wall beside Danse, her shoulder almost touching his, and almost without thought, Grayson leaned into the former robot, and she put an arm around him. Danse turned the book a little more so they could both see the pages, cleared his throat, and began to read again.

_I cry for the the world, for everyone_

Seeing her guns come skittering backwards through the door, he carefully lowered the Gatling Laser, and picked up the 10mm. He was just preparing to burst around the corner, and then a small child, with a dirty, tear streaked face, burst out the door, and kept on running, never looking back. She was running across the catwalks in the foundry when he heard one of the Minutemen call out, "Penny!" and the little girl burst into tears. Secure the child was safe, Arthur turned his attention back to the sound of Nora's voice.   
"Okay. I'm your prisoner. Now what?"   
He thought she sounded almost resigned. The rasping woman, the new 'Director' of the Institute, sounded angry and full of vengeance.   
"Now, Mother...you get to die."   
Arthur swallowed, then swung around the door, and found the one figure in white instead of black, standing above the vat of molten metal.   
He pulled the trigger three times, just to be sure.

_And I built a boat to float in_

Alana's hand was reaching for the Institute Rifle in X6-88's hands. The three silenced shots, so familiar, sounded from behind her, and she gasped as Alana faltered, the rifle almost falling from her uninjured hand.   
Alana was still turning towards her as red stains blossomed across her chest, and she looked down, her face pulling half a frown. X6-88 caught the gun as it slipped from her hand, and caught her around the back. She coughed, blood spattering the black Courser uniform.   
"Orders?" X6-88 asked quietly, and Alana sucked air, gasping, but she couldn't speak.   
Nora hesitated a moment, then pushed aside courser who had let her keep her knife, and made her way up the ramp. Silently, the other coursers and Synths let her pass. She took a knee beside Alana, and grasped her trembling hand.

_I'm floating away_

Danse glanced at Grayson, and realized the boy was asleep. More surprising, Curie was asleep too. Carefully, he picked up the faded bit of string that served to mark the page, and closed it in the book, setting it aside.   
Trying not to wake them, Danse began to climb off the bed, freezing when Curie sighed a little in her slumber. He waited another thirty seconds, perched uncomfortably half off the bed, until he was sure she wouldn't wake, he got up. Quietly, he picked up his laser rifle, digging through his pack for the cleaning kit he used to maintain it.   
He then settled his gun on the table, before hesitating, and picking up the Laser Rifle Curie was using. It needed some attention, so he set his own weapon aside, and slowly, carefully, he disassembled it, trying to make as little noise as possible, a small smile on his face the whole time.

_I can't recall last time I opened my eyes to see the world as beautiful_

Alana's eyes turned to her face, and Nora swallowed.   
"I'm sorry, Alana. But they aren't what you think...they're not machines. Not robots. They're people. You have to let them be free." she stated.   
"And if we did not wish to be free?" X6-88 asked quietly, and Alana squeezed her hand tightly.   
She realized the dying woman was mouthing something, and she took a moment to puzzle it out. Her fingers on her damaged hand twitched towards the pocket of her lab coat. Nora carefully reached in, and pulled out a small, handbound notebook, and a pair of Holotapes.   
"Okay. I'll take care of them." she stated, and Alana let go of her hand, gripping X6-88's arm, squeezing it as she closed her eyes.   
She gave a last shudder, and died in his arms.

_And I built a cage to hide in_

Nora exhaled slowly, and wiped her eye.   
"Damn." X6-88 looked at her from behind his sunglasses.   
"Now what do we do? We are Coursers. No one will accept us. We are made for battle, not farming." he said calmly. Nora gripped his shoulder.   
"There are still battles in the Commonwealth. You can help this be a safer place...for all of us." she stated.   
"I cannot order the others." he stated.   
"No. Neither can I. That is what it is to be free." She stated, and rose, turning to face the last remainder of the 'Institute'.   
"It's up to you, and you alone...how you choose to live now. If you don't want to be here...you can leave the Commonwealth. But I don't know what the rest of the world looks like out there. All I know is that my son--Father--was a monster. But you aren't." She swallowed, and brushed away another tear for Alana, so consumed by hate. She didn't know what she had in her pockets, but it had been important.

_I'm hiding, I'm trying to battle the night..._

"Don't make the same mistakes humanity made two hundred years ago. Don't let fear and prejudice destroy us. Together, we can all survive...maybe even prosper someday. So make your choice. But I'm walking out that door...And anyone who wants to come with me will find themselves a home." Nora was firm, but kind and encouraging. She looked down at X6-88.   
"The boy. He is with you?" he asked.   
"My son, Grayson." she gave a nod.   
"How...how does one say goodbye to the dead?" X6-88 slung his rifle over his shoulder, and lifted Alana Secord in his arms.   
"We bury them. Come on...I'll help you dig." she said quietly, and he nodded, following her down the ramps, towards the door. Arthur was holding her guns, and she took them back. He fell in beside her, and the Coursers and Synths followed them, single file, out of the Saugus Ironworks.

_Let love conquer your mind_

Two of the minutemen were gone, but so was Penny, the little girl. Knight Wilson and the other two were waiting, and when they saw the coursers, their weapons came up immediately. Arthur stepped in front of X6-88, who still carried Alana Secord's corpse.   
"Elder?" Knight Wilson prompted.   
"Everything is fine. These Synths aren't our enemy." Arthur said firmly, and it made the two Minutemen share looks.  
"But...Coursers." Knight Wilson said helplessly. Arthur scowled at him, bringing to bear the full power of his charisma, and the Knight hastily lowered his weapon, then pushed down the barrels of the two men who flanked him. Arthur gave a short nod, then led the party down the metal walkway to the double doors. Once there, he opened one door, and without a word, Nora got the other. Belatedly, the Minutemen darted out the doors, to get the exterior doors as well.   
With all due solemnity, X6-88 led the procession out of the Ironworks, and towards Finch Farm.

_Warrior, warrior_

Jake and Abraham Finch found two shovels. Nora and X6-88 dug the grave in silence. Arthur stood vigil over the body, and the Synths and Coursers formed a half circle around them. When Arthur offered her a hand out of the four foot deep hole, Nora took it. Gently, the Courser recovered Alana Secord's body, and laid it gently in the grave.   
"Would anybody like to...say goodbye?" Nora asked, and for a moment, no one moved. Then one of the Synths stepped forward. Nora gave an encouraging nod, and the woman tugged a little on the cuff of her torn and dirty suit.  
"I...I worked in the SRB. Alana...she wasn't nice, but...she was hurt. She ordered me to help her...and I did it. Because I was...scared. Of her. Of this place. Of being alone." She looked at Nora.  
"I was afraid...of you."

_Just reach out for the light_  
  
Curie stirred with a yawn. Nora and Arthur had already left, and now he was just trying to focus on cleaning his own gun, so when she sat beside him, he glanced up, almost surprised. She gave him her bright, sweet smile.   
"Sleeping is very interesting, no? I did not even realize I had fallen asleep!" she whispered, and he smiled slightly.   
"It has a way of sneaking up on you, I suppose." he murmured, and she laughed softly.   
"What is it you are doing?" she asked.   
"Cleaning and maintenence of weapons is important...I took care of your rifle for you." He nodded to where the gun lay on the busted dresser.   
"Oh, you didn't have to, but I do appreciate it. Though perhaps...instead of doing it for me, why don't you show me what to do instead?" Curie gave him a smile to cushion the little scolding, and he smiled a little.   
Her Doctor Barrows had done something truly masterful in programming her AI. She was very human, for a robot. He pushed that thought away. Very human, for a Synth. It was a small, but important distinction.  
"Okay, well...you can watch me finish mine, then I'll show you how yours comes apart." He was rewarded with another beaming smile.

_Warrior, warrior_

The Synth woman raised her head, looking at Nora and Arthur.  
"But...then Alana made us take those kids...that sweet little girl. For three days, I looked after that girl...and she asked me...why I was a bad Synth." The woman looked ashamed.  
"Why I didn't want to join the Minutemen? She asked why I wanted to stay with the Institute...the same Institute that killed her parents? Why be bad...when we could be good?"  
X6-88 answered her. "We are not like the runaways, D4-N4. We do not have false human memories. We are programmed for specific tasks. I capture runaway synths. You file paperwork." His voice was flat and calm.  
"But...do we have to?" a voice asked, and Nora searched for the speaker with her gaze. The Courser that had frisked her, left her with her knife, stepped out of the half circle.

_I am a-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah_

After showing Curie how to break down her own rifle and his, they put away his kit, though she extracted from him a promise that he would teach her about his power armor when they got to Med-Tek. Danse spread a bedroll out on the sedan before picking Grayson up, and tucking the boy into the blankets. He left the lamp low, but gestured for quiet when he led Curie out into the hall.  
"He had a big day, and I don't want him to wake up." he excused, and they went down to the table and chairs on the second floor landing, where the caravan guards and minutemen had been playing cards earlier.  
"Strange, I have not seen Nora or the Elder tonight..." Curie gazed over the rail, looking for her friend. Danse didn't say anything right away, and she looked at him curiously.  
"Do you know something I do not know?" Danse sighed.   
Busted.

_Warrior, warrior_

"Explain yourself, X4-18." X6-88 frowned. X4-18 sighed a little.  
"You are, undoubtedly, the finest Courser to serve in the SRB. You had more retentions than any other Courser. But I have done something that, I think...no other Courser has done." The man stated, and ran a hand over his shaved head with a sigh.  
"I let a Synth escape. He'd already had the memory replacement. I saw him at a settlement, and he was working on a suit of power armor. I thought to take him out without alerting the others, bu...a boy approached him. I watched him explain to the boy what he was doing. Teaching him. The child...was very happy, and so was he. I didn't think that was possible on the surface. That Synths we Retained were better off. Happier. I saw him, with all those people. His...family. I could not bring myself to take him from them." X4-18 sighed.  
X6-88 was quiet for a moment, and then lifted a hand, and removed his dark glasses, worn day and night, inside and out. He stepped to the side of the grave, then leaned down, reaching into the grave, tucking the glasses into Alana Secord's pocket. When he rose, he turned and met Nora's gaze with eyes she found almost shockingly familiar. His eyes were brown, dark and warm, the exact same shade as Danse.

_I am a-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah_

"Somebody kidnapped a little girl from Finch Farm. Arthur and Nora went to take care of it with a few of the Knights. She told me we should wait twenty four hours, then continue on to Med-Tek without them." Curie gasped, shaking her head.  
"Oh no! The poor child! Who would do such a thing?!" She felt a tightness in her chest, her throat. A burning sensation in her eyes. Danse leaned forwards, looking at her with a worried expression.   
"You look like you want to cry." His spoke gently, and she took a gasping breath, fanning her face with one hand.   
"Oh, is that what it feels like? What an unpleasant sensation! Like I cannot breathe, or speak, or see--" She shook her head, and Danse pulled his chair closer, until their knees almost touched. He gave her an encouraging smile.  
"You don't have to hold back. Crying is...a very human reaction when you hear about a little girl being kidnapped." The phrase made her give a small displeased sound, and the tears fell, and she buried her face in her hands, allowing the tears to come. Very suddenly, he was on one knee in front of her chair, and he pulled her gently into a hug. Curie pressed her forehead against his chest, and he said nothing, just let her cry in the warm circle of his arms.

_Warrior, warrior of love..._

"I followed Father's orders, every one. I was the only Courser permitted to interact with the Boy. I could not tell him. That his very existence is...cursed. To be a child, forever." X6-88's shoulders drooped a little.   
"I could not understand how...Father, who I believed always knew what was best for all of us...how he could be so...thoughtlessly cruel."   
Nora lifted a hand, and put it on his shoulder, giving him a warm smile.  
"I'm sure he'll be excited to see you. Grayson knows what he is...that he won't age. We're trying to change that. Dr. Li and Dr. Virgil have established a lab at Med-Tek. We were on our way there, with my son. You are all welcome to join us there." Nora looked at the other Synths and Coursers, taking a couple of steps towards Alana's grave.  
"Being free means you have choices now. You could join the Minutemen...or you could be a farmer. Or a Provisioner, or a merchant, or a scientist--or a radio DJ, or...whatever. And you have your whole lives...more years than any human...to experience it all." She knelt, and picked up a handful of dirt.

  
_I stand behind the wall of people and thoughts, mind controlling_

It took Curie a few minutes to collect herself, but the burst of emotion left her a little drained somehow, as if she was low on fuel. She sighed, and turned her head, so her cheek rested on his chest, and she could hear his heart beating. She counted the BPM, almost without noticing, and noticed it was a little higher than the expected parameters.  
"Danse, your heart is beating very quickly. Is something wrong?" She pulled away a little, looking up at him. He laughed a little, and shook his head.   
"It's...I'm fine, Curie. Thank you for being concerned." He let her go, and gently brushed his thumb over her cheek, trying a last clinging tear before he returned to his seat, and moved it back a little. It was not as far away though, and she was uncertain why she was so pleased by that.  
"I am sorry for interrupting you. Do you think Nora and the Elder will be able to bring the little girl home safe?" She really hoped so, and when he smiled, she was relieved.  
"With all that she's accomplished, I'm pretty sure Nora can do just about anything. Don't worry. I'm sure we'll hear from her again before we're scheduled to leave." Danse's conviction was very convincing.

_And I hold a sword to guide me_

"Before the war, when we buried our dead...it was a kind of tradition...for those left behind to drop a handful of of dirt into their graves. I'm not sure how it started, but...it's a symbol of farewell." Nora knew it wasn't much, but just as digging the grave had been a kindness, so was the little ritual.   
"Alana wasn't bad. Shaun...Father wasn't evil." Even if she had treated him that way. Even if what he'd done to all the Synths repulsed her deeply.  
"But they were...wrong in their thinking. And so were we. Two Hundred and Ten years ago, we let fear rule us. Well, there are plenty of things in the Commonwealth to be afraid of...other than each other." Nora stood beside the grave, then held out her hand, letting the dirt slip through her fingers slowly.

  
_I'm fighting my way..._

"This is my farewell...to the past. To Corvegas speeding along the highway...to pristine shops and five star restaurants...Farewell to Nate, and my parents. Farewell to the Institute...Farewell to my son Shaun...to the baby they took...and to the man he became." The soil was rocky and sandy, hard and cold from being in the earth, untouched until they'd dug it out, as if the whole world was being crushed under the weight of humanity's repeated stupidity.  
"Let us learn from the past...or like Shaun, we'll be doomed to repeat it." Nora brushed her hands, the last few grains of rocky soil dropping onto the stained lab coat.   
One by one, the Synths each dropped a handful of soil into the grave, then walked up towards the Finch Farmhouse, where Abigail Finch had hot tea and food waiting for them. When only Nora, X6-88, and Arthur remained, the former Courser picked up a handful of soil, and let it fall from his outstretched hand.   
"Farewell."

_I can't recall last time I opened my eyes to see the world as beautiful_

The stoner from the lobby, Fred something, came up the stairs two at a time, a big grin on his face.  
"Hey man, are you Danse?" He was clearly high. Danse sighed.   
"Yes." The chems dealer nodded a couple of times, as if that was a weighty thought. Then he blinked, snapping back to reality.  
"Oh, the General is on the horn, man. She wants to talk to you." He turned and casually wandered off, looking at his hands. Danse rolled his eyes, but stood, and Curie rose, following him closely as she wiped her face with her hands, removing the tear tracks. They hurried down the stairs, and the old black woman behind the counter pointed to a ham radio set up on the bar.

_And I built a cage to hide in_

"General, this is Danse." He held the handset up, and Curie leaned on the bar to listen.   
"Danse, there's going to be a change of plans. Finch Farm isn't that far from Med-Tek; we're going to go from here. Are you comfortable taking charge of the Caravan?" Nora's voice was crackling, but understandable.  
"Yeah, that's fine. What do you want me to tell Grayson?" He didn't relish the thought of the boy's disappointment when she wasn't there in the morning.   
"Tell him...I've got an old friend of his with me...who is very eager to see him. And tell him that we'll be waiting for you all at Med-Tek. It shouldn't be much of a trip from here. I expect to arrive fairly early tomorrow, but don't feel like you all have to push yourselves too hard...or the Brahmin." Danse looked at Curie, who nodded.  
"Okay. Curie and I will pack up the rest of your gear and bring it along. Same goes for the Knights and Elder Maxson." Not that Arthur had brought much. Fusion cells for his weapon, Danse figured.  
"Great. Thanks Danse. And Curie, since the rent is paid, you can have my room!" Nora sounded as if she was teasing them somehow. He flushed a little. Was he that obvious? Curie took the handset from his hand.  
"Merci, General!"

_I'm hiding, I'm trying to battle the night..._

When Nora was finished saying goodbye, she was giggling a little to herself. Arthur frowned at her.  
"Did you just do what I think you just did?" He waited patiently until one of the local settlers was out of earshot, Nora still chuckling away.  
"If you mean 'Did I just give Danse a big unsubtle shove in Curie's direction', then...yes, I just did what you think I did." Nora looked smug and proud of herself. He gave an irritated sigh.  
"You know, he's a Synth, right? And she is--was--a 100% artifical intelligence?" He scolded her quietly, and then instantly regretted it when her brows drew together and her mouth curved in the opposite direction.  
"Remember how we discussed the whole 'Bigotry' thing?" Her voice was quiet, but as sharp as a knife. Arthur wondered how he kept ramming his foot so firmly into his mouth with this woman. Then he remembered; he had no idea what he was doing.

_Let love conquer your mind_

"Sorry. I hear it's hard to break your programming." Nora's frown lessened, and he sighed, running a hand over his beard, smoothing it a little. It was a nervous habit he'd developed, from dealing with the Council. He was always tightly wound and under complete control with anyone else, but ten seconds in her presence and he turned into any other stupid twenty year old male in front of a pretty girl.  
"I'm sorry. I'm an ass, and just for the record, I...actually don't mind Curie at all." He shrugged a little, shaking his head.   
"It's been a long night, Arthur. If we're lucky, we'll get a couple hours sleep, but we're struggling to find beds for people now as it is. The Castle is getting crowded, and the Labs certainly aren't in any condtion to host a group this size for any length of time." She pushed a stray lock behind her ear, and he allowed himself the luxury of putting a hand on her shoulder.   
"It'll be fine. We can help those who don't want to stay at the labs or the Castle find places in other settlements, and even use the Vertibirds to drop them off." He would have preferred pulling her into his arms, even just to hold her, but there were a lot of people watching them, and Arthur was sure rumors could still make it back to the Capital long before he wanted them to. She smiled, and covered his hand with her own for a moment, before someone called out to her, and she pulled away.

_Warrior, warrior_

They left the hotel lobby, and went back up to the table that overlooked it. Danse wondered absently if it would have killed somebody to chase a broom around the place once in a while. No Brotherhood occupied building he'd ever been in had looked like that, other than the Cambridge station.   
With the constant onslaught of attacks, they'd been hard pressed just to get some sleep once in awhile, let alone do any custodial work on their base. Nora was on a constant quest to improve the surroundings she found herself in. When she wasn't sleeping, fighting, or sneaking time with Arthur, at any rate. He shook his head a little as he took his seat.  
"Is something wrong?" Curie gave him a worried look. He smiled to reassure her.  
"No...just...thinking about Arthur and Nora." Danse adjusted the position of his chair a little, closer to hers. She smiled brightly.  
"I think they feel quite strongly for one another! I heard one of the knights say he had never seen the Elder smile so much! Surely that is good, yes?" Danse wasn't sure how to answer that.

_Just reach out for the light_

At some point, Arthur fell asleep in a chair, arms crossed against his broad chest, his heels on a crate. When he woke, he noticed everyone was tiptoeing around, trying not to wake the others in the predawn light.   
The Synths were silent and efficient. They moved without speaking to one another, while the settlers whispered sleepily to each other as they passed mugs around and made pots of tea. They were offering them to passing synths, who gave them vaguely terrified looks, then declined, and quickly found somewhere else to be.   
It wasn't until he rose that he caught sight of X6-88, standing silently a couple feet away from a threadbare upholstered chair that someone had tossed a sleeping bag in a pile on the seat. Then he saw a familiar ginger braid dangling over the arm of the chair, and realized the chair was occupied by an exhausted Nora.   
She was nestled into the chair with her head resting on the arm, cushioned with a few lumps of sleeping bag under her cheek. X6-88 was standing quiet vigil over her rest. Arthur let him, and went to the settlers, taking two mugs of the strong tea.   
He quietly thanked the man, who looked somehow surprised by it, then crossed the room, and offered the second mug to him. X6-88 stared at him for a few long seconds, then gave a small nod of thanks, and took the mug. Arthur nodded back, and continued on his way out the door, to see if anyone had put themselves in charge while she slept.

_Warrior, warrior_

When she groaned and unfolded herself, walking slowly as she worked out various cramps from sleeping in an uncomfortable position, Nora found that only X6-88 remained in the small farmhouse.   
"I believe there is still tea." he said solemnly, and she sighed gratefully, heading for the kettle. He was faster than her, and poured the mug, offering it to her silently. Nora took the mug with a tired nod of thanks, and sipped while she let her protesting muscles quiet down.   
"The Elder has gotten the others organized for the trip to Med-Tek. I suggested waking you, but he insisted we should let you sleep until you woke." He frowned slightly. She wondered how much he'd argued, and was willing to bet he hadn't.   
"I...needed what I got. Med-Tek isn't far. We'll make it with plenty of day left over." Nora finished the tea, and he followed her outside.   
Around the small farmstead, she saw little knots of the dingy Synth uniforms, usuall clustered with one or two of the locals, all listening attentively to their bewildered hosts as they explained what they were working on. The four Coursers that had been present all stood at regular intervals around their brethren, unarmed, but clearly standing guard. It made her smile.

_I am a-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah_

"They hardly know whether to be excited or terrified." Arthur stated, joining them on the porch as he picked up his coat, shrugging it on. X6-88 looked at him.  
"They should be terrified. This world is far more dangerous than you have led them to believe." Nora gave him a scowl.   
"Holy shit, X6-88!" she scolded, then sighed, putting two fingers to her mouth, and whistling sharply. Everyone looked up, and the Synths thanked their hosts, then hurried to cluster together, flanked by McGee and Wilson, along with the four Minutemen stationed at Finch Farm. She was surprised to see the little girl, Penny, and her brother, who she realized she'd never asked his name.  
"What are you two doing?" she asked. Penny reached up, and caught the hand of the Synth woman who had cared for her, who had professed to being afraid of Nora herself.   
"We're going with you!" The little girl lifted her chin, and Nora wondered which of her parents had given her that stubborn streak.  
"Sweetie, Med-Tek labs...it's not in the safest neighborhood." Nora admitted, and Penny frowned at her.   
"Ma'am...I know I'm only fifteen, but...If I join the Minutemen...maybe I'll be able to protect Penny better." Her brother looked nervous, and she hesitated.   
"I...I can't in good conscience send a fifteen year old into battle." She stated, looking helplessly at Arthur. He cleared his throat, and looked the pair over.

_Warrior, warrior_

"The Brotherhood of Steel accepts Initiates as young as fourteen...and Squires as young as ten. You'll get food, lodgings in a barracks for Initiates, but the Squires have their own shared quarters on the Prydwen. You'll be educated, taught to fight, and taught to trade. In exchange, you'll be expected to hold up the Brotherhood's ideals, and dp your duty for the Brotherhood and the Commonwealth." He was firm, but not as gruff as usual. He could practically see stars in the boy's eyes, and the kid straightened a little more.   
"What about her?" Penny demanded, gesturing to the woman who looked almost as helpless as Nora had moments earlier. Arthur met the terrified woman's gaze, then looked at Nora.   
"The Prydwen is unable to house the family members of our Commonwealth recruits...but there are several of your settlements within safe walking distance of the Airport, aren't there?" Nora blinked, then smiled.   
"Yes. Yes there are. Several." She nodded solemnly, and the Synth woman relaxed a little.   
"Thank you, General." she smiled a little.

_I am a-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah_

Nora walked with Penny and her new 'Mother', D4-N4. Penny wrinkled the nose at the name, but she didn't complain more. Nora broached the subject when Penny had finally grown tired of walking, and had badgered her brother, who Nora now knew was named Adam, to give her a piggy back ride. Adam was walking with Knight Wilson, who answered all of the young man's questions about the Brotherhood of Steel.  
"You know...for some of the Synths that have already joined the Minutemen...they found that taking an actual name instead of their Institute designations...has helped them acclimatize better." Nora said it encouragingly, but D4-N4 sighed.  
"I wouldn't know what to pick. None of us do. Other than knowing the names of the doctors...we all just..use our unit numbers, if we have to talk at all." she admitted. Nora nodded slowly.  
"I knew a Synth...H2-22. I helped himreach my friends in the Railroad. He said you were told to act like machines. Speak only for acknowledgement or clarification. Do your tasks quickly and without deviation. Show nothing of who you are. It sounds like a nightmare. No wonder he was so eager to forget it."

_Warrior, warrior of love!_

"He was truthful. To them, we were just machines. Even to Director Secord. When she ordered me to look after Penny...she said, 'See that her needs are met'. It meant I should make sure she had food, water, and a place to sleep and facilities. But...Penny talked. And...I listened." D4-N4 spoke solemnly.  
"What did you hear?" Nora gave her some encouragement to keep talking.  
"That here, we are free. That you do not think we are different in our minds from humans."  
Nora smiled, and nodded towards X4-18.   
"That story he told? About the Synth who was part of a settlement? I know who he was talking about. His name is Sturges. He'll be at Med-Tek when we get there. He's a good friend of mine. And I left my son, Grayson...with my best friend, Danse. He's a Synth. My son is a Synth. And my friend, Curie. She used to be a brilliant custom AI inside a Miss Nanny robot that someone programmed as a vaccine researcher. Now, her mind is inside a Synth, too." Nora revealed, winning some looks from those who were listening in.  
"So many of us are free?" One of the men behind her asked, and she looked over her shoulder with a smile.   
"Now...you are all free."

_Underneath darkened sky_

Danse got the Caravan into order with the help of the lead Provisioner, while Curie talked to Grayson, relating what she knew of why his mother wasn't there. She had spent the night alone in the large bed under the lumpy blanket, though she hadn't been particularly tired. Instead, she'd borrowed Danse's book, and found the experience of reading a book to be quite wonderful.  
She'd loved the feel of the pages under her fingertips, the way the book smelled and felt in her hands. Such observations had been beyond her as a robot, which only confirmed her reason for becoming a Synth. She was as close to human as a robot AI could get, and she loved every minute.   
The feel of her muscles aching after she had cried, the way Danse's warm arms had felt when he hugged her against his chest. That had been a particularly enjoyable sensation, and somehow unique to Danse somehow. She'd been hugged by several people; Nora, Piper and little Nat, even once, somewhat awkwardly, she'd hugged Valentine, just to see what it was like.   
Other than the awkwardness, it had been vaguely unsatisfying, and very uncomfortable for him. She had apologized, and not done it again. Some experiments did not bear repetition for the sake of confirmation.   
Danse whistled to the Caravan, and waved a power armor encased arm, urging them all northwards. The guards fanned out, and she took Grayson's hand, letting him pull her along so they could walk with Danse.

_There's a light kept alive_

"Did mom say who was with her?" Grayson looked up at Danse, his face eager and excited. Somehow still just a kid, despite everything.   
"No, sorry pal. She didn't, but it sounds like someone from the Institute." He was making an educated guess, since Grayson wouldn't know anyone else. Curie looked at Grayson curiously.   
"Did you make lots of friends there? Were there other children?" She couldn't help but start to fret, but Grayson shook his head, sighing a little.   
"No...there's never any other kids. I've only met those Squires...and...they weren't very nice, I think." He shrugged, and Danse put an armored hand on the boy's head, ruffling his ginger hair.   
"Who knows? Maybe your mom will take you down to Somerville or Nordhagen. They've got kids there. A boy and a girl at Somerville. And your mom's friend Piper has a little sister named Nat." Danse struggled to remember the other kids' names, but couldn't. He couldn't even name any of the scribes off the Prydwen. One would think Synths couldn't forget things, but he supposed that their brains were mostly human, and to live eternal life and all those memories would be a crushing burden.   
He had a sudden surge of compassion, both for Curie and Codsworth, who had robot brains capable of retaining gast amounts of complex data, and the two hundred and ten years they had lived since the bombs fell.

_Let love conquer your mind_

"Mutie!" One of the Knights yelled, lifting his gun, and Nora slapped it down. "No! He's... friendly!" she assured him. The Supermutant lumbered towards them at an even pace, she recognized him in the motley armor, with the crested 'centurion' style helm.   
"Excuse me, Ma'am...but are you outta yer mind?!" The Minutemen all looked stunned as the Supermutant stopped in front of them, with a growling sigh.   
"Brother not made Milk of Human Kindness yet." He looked put out as her entourage looked on, baffled. She smiled.  
"Well, Strong, you'll have to be patient. Science takes time, I'm afraid. How have things been at the labs?" Strong growled a little, but replied calmly enough.   
"Strong saw Raiders. Raiders didn't see Strong." He gave his vaguely disturbing laugh, and she smiled. "Brother stuck strong with needle. Didn't like it."  
"Well, in order to make certain that the Milk will do what it's supposed to, we have to test it on your blood. I'm sorry to say that means a lot more pokes in the future. I appreciate your patience and help, Strong." Nora spoke solemnly, and the Supermutant nodded.   
"Too many people. Strong go patrol north. Saw Radstag. Good food." Nora smiled.   
"Great plan. I'll see you later." The Supermutant gave the terrified Synths a little growl, making one of the women duck behind the menfolk, and then he chuckled to himself as he walked away.

_Warrior, warrior_

"Holy Fu--Hell, Hancock wasn't lying. You took him into Goodneighbor? And nobody shot you?!" Arthur was stunned. Nora smirked.   
"Elder, you should know how...persuasive I can be." He flushed, which had been her intention, and she turned to the group with a smile.  
"As you saw, that was Strong. He's helping us create what he calls the 'Milk of Human Kindness'. Strong is...friendly, but please, make no mistake, he is not a pet, or tamed. He... has as much free will as the rest of you...and like some of your fellow Synths have, Strong has decided that Humanity has strength, and that strength is worthy in his eyes." She addressed the whole group, but it was more the Knights and the Minutemen she was speaking to. She wanted them to understand.  
"In my thinking, that makes Strong unique amongst his brethren, in his self control and intellect. He may not seem as smart as the rest of us...but he can be. You may recall Dr. Brian Virgil, who disappeared from the Institute some time ago, after being infected with FEV. He was able to Synthesize a cure, and was returned to being a human." Arthur had heard of Virgil from Danse's reports on his travel with Nora through the Glowing Sea, when she had only been a simple Knight to him, if one with some serious motivation.   
"It is our hope that with Strong's help...this 'Milk of Human Kindness' can be effective on the current strain of FEV...potentially wiping out the supermutants...and returning them to their humanity...because unless we can prevent or cure the FEV...that's a war we'll always be fighting." Nora looked at him for a moment, and he gave a slight nod. He agreed. He would support the research...and if it worked, well, that was just another feather in his cap in front of the Council of Elders.

_Just reach out for the light_

The Minutemen at the door saluted them, and then one headed inside, to summon the scientists. Dr. Li arrived first, but barely bothered to give Nora or Arthur a nod before she began looking for faces she knew amongst the crowd of Synths.   
"Ah, good. We could use some more help around here. There's just too much to do and not enough hands or space." She lifted a hand, pointing to a pair of youngish looking male Synths. "You two; head upstairs and get instructions from one of the Minutemen. We need more rooms cleaned out for people to sleep--" She halted as Nora put a hand on her shoulder.  
"Not the Institute, remember?" Nora chided her softly, and Madison Li blushed brightly.   
"I--I'm sorry, all of you. That was extremely rude of me." She smoothed her lab coat, and composed herself.  
"Please...welcome to Med-Tek Laboratories. We...don't have a lot of room, but we'll find a way to fit everyone in. Those of you who...would like to join us here permanently...you are more than welcome...and your assistance would be appreciated here." She spoke humbly, and when Nora smiled a little, Dr. Li relaxed a hair.  
"Perhaps if we could leave our friends in the able care of your Minutemen, I'd like a tour, and a progress update." Arthur held out the olive branch that would allow Madison to escape her own embarrassment, and make the synths all more comfortable.   
"I believe that would be best." He sighed a little.Nora and her silver tongue.

_Warrior, warrior_

The sun was setting when the caravan made it in to the settlement at County Crossing. There was a good campfire going, and a pair of large molerats on a spit over another fire. There was a trader at the settlement, a man in a lab coat, with a couple of his own caravan guards. When he saw Danse, and the Minutemen crest on his blue armor, the man marched over to him with a big grin on his face.  
"Well now! Would ya look at all this! Where you folks headed, huh?" Danse sighed a little, and tugged off his helm to talk while Curie and Grayson held the reins of their two pack Brahmin, so the provisioners could unload them.  
"Med-Tek, north of here. Meeting up with General Pendleton and the rest of our group." Danse casually name dropped, just to see how the man would react.  
"Ah, General Nora herself, eh?? I once stitched up a laceration in her thigh--she's quite the woman." He stuck his hand out, nevermind that Danse's armored hand nearly engulfed his wrist, too.   
"Doc Weathers! Just roaming the Commonwealth, helping the sick and injured...and making a few caps here and there to keep me going. You folks need anything? I've got a fresh batch of stimpacks if you're looking for some emergency supplies." The 'Doctor' rubbed his hands together, more in eagerness than to warm them for any future patient.  
"Thank you doctor...but we're sufficiently stocked up." Danse nodded politely, and the man returned it, until he picked out a couple of the provisioners, greeting them by name. He shook a few hands, and spoke quietly to pair of them, all the while trying to look like he wasn't doing something wrong. Danse frowned. He'd have to talk to Nora. He wasn't sure if the Minutemen had a policy on chems...but they might need it.

_I am a-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah_

Some of the locals had given up beds to the wear travelers, opting to set an extra guard. With three pack brahmin, they would be a juicy target to any raiders or supermutants nearby. With Grayson nearly asleep on his feet after the meal and the hasty finding of shelter for so many, Danse was offered a room in a separate shack they usually used for storage which had been quickly emptied, and extra mattresses tossed on the floor.  
"I know it's not much for your family, Sir, but we thought the poor boy could use some undisturbed sleep, and there's room to park the armor inside too." The woman gave the door a bit of a shove with her shoulder, not seeing Danse's red face in the dark. He could see two mattresses had been pushed together, side by side, with a single blanket thrown across the whole, leaving room for his power armor, already parked between them and the third mattress.   
"He's...that is, this is General Pendleton's child, Grayson." He spoke quietly; Grayson was already asleep against his shoulder.   
"OH. So she's not--Oh. Well, umm--" the woman looked flustered, so to save them both, Danse stepped inside, and gently flicked one of the bedrolls open, tucking Grayson in carefully. The boy stayed asleep, but snuggled into his blankets as Danse rose, and stepped outside, the blushing woman still waiting.  
"I'm REALLY sorry. We all just assumed." Danse smiled a little.   
"I refuse to be insulted for something that would only be a compliment were it true. Grayson's a great kid, and Curie's--She's a very good caretaker for him. The arrangements are fine, and frankly, my preference. General Pendleton tasked me with their safety, after all." He gave her an out, and she took it, smiling brightly.  
"Can't argue with that!"

_Warrior, warrior_

The lobby had been converted to a kind of all purpose room. Two workbenches, outfitted for modding weapons and armor, stood against one wall, while someone industrious had utelized a pre-existing hole in the wall to fit a stovepipe through, and two massive pots of something that smelled appeteizing sat on top. A shelf covered in an assortment of chipped mugs and plates stood nearby, with a few other pots on the bottom shelf. Another shelf held old crates, filled with everything from dark brown beer bottles and ears of corn to tins of dogfood and instamash.  
"Please tell me nobody's eating the dogfood..." Nora muttered to Arthur, and he snorted in amusement as someone called her name. Her face lit up with a smile.  
"Sturges!" She laughed, and he caught her in a bear hug, startling the nervous synths when he spun her around.  
"Well it's about time! I was wonderin' if you folks got lost!" The mechanic clapped Arthur on the shoulder with a cheerful grin, and he almost staggered in surprise.  
"Sturges...I'd like you to meet someone." She kept one hand on his arm, and looked at the five men in their long dark coats.  
"X4-18?" she called, and the man joined her, but he was looking at Sturges, who gave an affable smile.  
"Sturges...this is X4-18. He's the courser who was sent to take you back to the Institute. He decided not to." Nora picked her words carefully, but Sturges, as always, smiled, and stuck out a hand.  
"Well, I'm right glad you did. Welcome to Med-Tek, X4-18. Damn, we gotta find you folks some real names!" Surprised, the Courser shook his hand, and Nora started to finally relax.

_I am a-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah_

Sturges gave Nora and Arthur the tour with Dr. Li; she waited almost impatiently as he talked about their efforts to reclaim the building from time itself, repairing things, setting up purifiers for water and fixing the wiring every time Madison or Brian needed a new piece of equipment for their work. Following along behind them was the little girl, Penny, and D4-N4, still holding her hand. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw D4-N4 perk up a little.  
"Do you have a question?" Nora cut Madison off just as Sturges fell briefly silent. D4-N4 nodded, then shook her head.   
"I'm sorry to interrupt or be a bother, but...one of the others, J7-83, he worked electrical maintainence. He...might be able to help with the wiring." She looked like she was waiting to be scolded, so Nora crossed the floor, and put a hand on the taller woman's shoulder.  
"Don't be afraid to speak up. If you have a question, or have something you'd like to say, we're certainly willing to hear it. What did you do in the SRB?" Nora encouraged her to speak, and the others stood silently, seeing how hesitant she was to talk.  
"I...worked with the files. On synths. Those who ran away, or were...were send for 'retraining'. Sometimes the ones who got sent up...the infiltrators. I made sure they were kept up, transcribing notes for Acting Director Ayo." She lifted her chin, and gave Madison a challenging look.  
"I would give the designation codes of Synths headed for Retraining to the Patriot. Sometimes, he got them out. I was scared. But I did it." She looked proud, and Nora gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze.  
"You did very well. You should be proud of that." The woman smiled a little, and nodded.  
"I am."

_Warrior, warrior of love..._

Once the tour was over, and they got themselves mostly settled down with meals, Nora asked for a handful of paper and a pencil, and stuck them on a battered clipboard. She started moving slowly around the room, collecting information from each of their newly freed citizens. She got their 'designations' and where they had worked, what they had been trained to do. Then she asked a question most of them were surprised to hear.  
"What would you like to be?" The trio of young men stared at her, like radstags caught in the headlamp of her T-60.  
"You know, like...a farmer! Or a researcher, or a provisioner, or a merchant, or a chef, or a minuteman. If you didn't like the thing you used to do, or you want to try something new, don't feel you have to be what you were trained as." Nora laughed a little.  
"Before the bombs, I was a lawyer. Now I'm a General. The field is pretty open."   
The boys, she could only think of them as teenagers, maybe nineteen or twenty, young and innocent in a way no human she had met in the commonwealth was. They had no idea how many ways the world had come up with to kill them yet. They thought quietly, and then the one in the middle finally broke the silence.  
"I just used to clean things. The railings. The windows. The floors. I don't really have anything to offer...but if there is something I could learn that would help...I could do anything, really." The other two nodded slowly.  
"I'd like to join the Minutemen." The youth on the right spoke suddenly, the words falling out of his mouth. His fellow synths looked shocked.  
"I want to see everything I can. The whole Commonwealth. And if I'm in the Minutemen...I'll get to help people, right? Show them...Synths are the good guys, too." Nora made a notation on her page, and nodded to him.  
"If you'd like to travel back to the Castle with us when we leave...I'll make sure you get a uniform, a weapon, armor...and training." When he nodded, she smiled.   
"I'll have one of the Minutemen start working with you, first thing tomorrow."

_Warrior of love!_

A storm started, late in the night, and Danse woke quickly when a small hand touched his shoulder. Grayson's eyes were wide and he flinched when the lightning flashed. Danse sat up enough to see him clearly, then nodded to the obvious gap between himself and Curie. He let her use the blanket they'd been given, in addition to their own bedrolls. Grayson smartly brought his own, and nestled into the space under his blanket.   
Curie stirred, and when Grayson flinched at another crack of thunder, she smiled, and flicked the excess large blanket over the boy entirely, and back onto Danse. Grayson let Curie put an arm over him, smoothing his frazzled ginger hair as he attempted to get back to sleep.   
Over the boy's head, he saw Curie smile at him, and he returned it, laying his head back down on the lumpy mattress.  
Rather than sleeping, Danse instead glared at the insides of his eyelids, struggling with his growing attraction to the petite brunette. Strange, that the Brotherhood of Steel had given Synths the credit of acknowledging that they had free will, and the Institute had treated them as nothing but conveniently people-shaped Mr. Handys and Sentry Bots. He'd always thought that Synths were capable of such diabolical things, but so was every human in what was left of the world. He'd forgotten, even after realizing he was a Synth himself, that Synths still had emotions. That they could be confused.  
Until it happened, and his heart beat a little faster when she was near, or when she smiled at him. He couldn't read anything more into her motivations than simply she was very sweet, programmed to be a pleasant and intelligent researcher, which, in the long run, Curie very much still was. But she was also so very gentle and human, honest in everything she did.   
Her creator deserved some kind of award; she was the most human Artificial Intelligence he'd ever known, himself included. He could never tell her about the feelings he was battling. He doubted they would even occur to her beyond caring for him as a friend.   
He would save them both the embarrassment, and keep his feelings to himself.

_Warrior of love!_

 

_Warrior-Aurora_


End file.
